In May 2021 Bimber distillery kicked off The Spirit of the Underground, a series officially licensed by the London Transport network, showcasing a different tube station on each bottle. The series has its own website.
The series is released in batches of four whiskies, always double matured in different types of casks. We tried the first batch in 2021, and now we look at the latest batch #6. It includes Oval, Stratford, Wembley Park and Wimbledon. That’s 24 whiskies so far – still a long way to go until the city’s 11 lines are populated – the series will get 44 stations in total.
Each whisky spent around 3 years in their finishing casks, which makes it more of a double maturation.
Bimber Stratford (58,5%, OB ‘The Spirit of the Underground’ 2024, Fino sherry cask #267/16, 325 btl.)
Nose: the colour already indicated quite some wood influence. So it starts grassy and fairly dry, with a berry sourness, orange juice and some mossy notes. Then a hint of caramel, with pineapple and peach in the background. Gingery notes and salted nuts too.
Mouth: really spicy. Ginger and pepper, along with green olives in brine, salty liquorice, lemon peels and more (red) berries, which is slightly surprising for a Fino cask. Tobacco along with tannins and nutmeg. Toasted grains and plenty of leafy notes towards the end.
Finish: long, on a combination of salt, lemon and drying nutty notes. Still hints of tobacco.
Quite a spicy Bimber, with a marked salinity from the Fino cask. Overall that really makes it a Fino representative! On the other hand there’s also a highly active woody side that I find harder to swallow. Sold out, like of these bottlings?
Bimber Wembley Park (58,3%, OB ‘The Spirit of the Underground’ 2024, Marsala cask #300/11, 305 btl.)
Nose: a bit rounder but also significantly more vinous. Honey and oranges instead of the Fino sourness. Rich spices like nutmeg and ginger. Increasingly more candied (more towards Oloroso), with toffee and apricots. Then sultanas and a hint of leather.
Mouth: oily but again very spicy, with hints of American whisky at times. Quite hot actually. Think nutmeg, clove, peppery notes and leather. Then citrus zest before the vinous astringency sets in. A firm tannic edge as well as some cold coffee. Dark cocoa powder as well.
Finish: long, rather winey and spicy. Red berries and burnt toast until the very end.
Here the spicy character is becoming a bit borderline, in my opinion, taking away some of the balance. Add to that a marked vinous footprint and you have a whisky that is certainly less to my liking. Apologies to Sicily, I still love you. Score: 80/100
Bimber Oval (57,6%, OB ‘The Spirit of the Underground’ 2024, Moscatel sherry cask #282/22, 307 btl.)
Nose: intense sweetness coupled to intense spice. Raspberries, stewed apricots, sweet figs. Tobacco and cinnamon in the distance. Then some wine gums before it goes towards toffee. A subtle floral overtone as well.
Mouth: toasted oak again. That’s a common thread in this series so far – overly active bourbon wood at the start. Then caramelized notes, black pepper and brown sugar. A little chilli heat. A slight bitterness of grapefruit and dark chocolate in the end.
Finish: long, peppery, with lots of tobacco notes, nutmeg and sweet woody notes.
Quite fruity at times, but the spices are quite loud again. Sure, a few drops of water go a long way, but I think the initial bourbon casks may have been a tad too significant here. Score: 83/100
And then quite a special cask: Vino de Naranja. See my Aber Falls article or Compass Box Canvas for some background information. Next time you’re in Sevilla, be sure to try it straight from the barrel, at Maestro Marcelino for instance.
Bimber Wimbledon (56,6%, OB ‘The Spirit of the Underground’ 2024, Vino de Naranja cask #310/5, 298 btl.)
Nose: blood orange at first, with orange peels, lots of raisins and dates. Chocolate, stewed apples and hints of vanilla, making this really rich. Caramel too. Then some earthy notes and liquorice, as well as freshly grated nutmeg and a whiff of chiffon leather.
Mouth: quite spicy (no need to tell you again?) with orange peels, giving this a unique bittersweet profile. Blood orange, black pepper, toffee and toasted oak. Then leafy notes, sour berries, cinnamon and Jaffa cakes.
Finish: medium, with more caramel sweetness, orange peels and a subtle saline edge.
So if there’s a lot of wood (spice) to start with, you better add a lot of sweetness. And oranges are always nice. In terms of balance this is probably better than the Fino, but I felt that one was a bit more unique. Overall, a pretty tasty session but next time I’d love to have a toned down initial maturation. Score: 85/100